WATCH OUT FOR THE ATLAS

Re: “Thepchai cops flak for Prachatai donor post”, (Thai Pulse, Aug 26).

Only a few days ago the US charge d’affairs in Bangkok was compelled to write to The Nation newspaper to protest over an article it had published referring to allegations made on a website called The New Atlas that the US government was complicit in the recent bomb attacks across southern Thailand.

Now, Thepchai Yong, the editor-inchief of the Nation Multimedia Group, finds himself in hot water for a Facebook post that highlighted other allegations from The New Atlas regarding the funding of local news agency Prachatai.

It seems that Mr Thepchai and his organisation may have been used as unwitting pawns in a disreputable game of international media disinformation and general mischief making.

The New Atlas appears to come from the same stable as another website called Alternative Thai News Network. Both specialise in circulating anti-Western conspiracy theories.

ATNN’s website homepage displays the logo of New Eastern Outlook, which describes itself as an online journal, based in Moscow.

Mr Thepchai defends his decision to turn the spotlight on Prachatai by saying that the media should be subject to scrutiny. In that he is of course correct, but I think he has chosen the wrong target, and seems to ignore the need for a level playing field.

Does he not realise that, while The New Atlas and ATNN seek to discredit other organisations by making allegations regarding their funding, neither of these websites divulge any information relating to their own backers and sources of funding?

I would recommend some investigative journalism targeting The New Atlas and ATNN. Determined digging might unearth some interesting information.

In the meantime, I think that any articles appearing on either of these websites should be treated with the utmost caution and scepticism. Robin Grant